Sénégal tightens foreigner identity checks amid growing concerns

Dakar is witnessing a surge in police checks targeting foreigners, raising questions about the balance between security and hospitality in the country. Within just eight days, authorities conducted 490 identity verifications in the capital and its outskirts, with 36 individuals referred to prosecutors for irregular stay. The crackdown, presented as routine administrative measures, has sparked concerns among civil society groups and resident foreign communities.

A recent case highlights the tension. Amadou Bangoura, a 30-year-old Beninese student in Dakar for five years, was stopped by police near his gym in the Liberté 6 district. Despite presenting his passport and stay documents at home, the unexpected encounter left him shaken by fears of deportation or legal consequences. His experience is not unique—similar checks have multiplied across Dakar and surrounding areas in recent weeks, under the banner of enhancing public and property safety.

The numbers confirm the trend. Between June 30 and July 8, 2026, the Directorate of Foreign Police and Travel Documents (DPETV) carried out extensive verification campaigns in multiple Dakar neighborhoods and suburbs. Nearly 490 foreigners of various nationalities underwent checks, leading to 36 referrals for irregular stay—a figure that underscores the intensification of these operations.

Civil society voices alarm over shifting perceptions

Human rights and migrant advocacy groups have condemned what they describe as a growing culture of suspicion toward foreigners in Senegal. In a joint statement on July 13, organizations including Legs Africa, Frapp, Nawle, Afrikajom Center, and Diwan Citoyen acknowledged the state’s right to regulate borders and combat irregular migration. However, they warned against conflating sovereignty with arbitrary enforcement, emphasizing that the shift risks reducing foreigners from rights-bearing individuals to perceived administrative risks—transforming even legal stays into bureaucratic ordeals.

« The concern today isn’t the existence of migration policies, but the normalization of perpetual suspicion toward foreigners, » the coalition stated. « This evolution risks turning routine procedures into a series of trials for those legally residing in the country. »

Balancing security with Senegal’s tradition of openness

Elimane Kane, President of Legs Africa, argues that the checks should not pit security against hospitality—core values long associated with Senegal. While acknowledging the state’s duty to control borders and verify identities, he warns against interpretations that frame these measures as rejection of foreigners. « Security does not exclude otherness, » he asserts, calling for better coordination among security forces to prevent checks from being perceived as persecutions rather than neutral procedures.

Kane also highlights the global nature of labor mobility. « Just as Senegalese seek opportunities abroad, foreigners have the right to come here to work and contribute, » he notes. The solution, he suggests, lies not in blaming migrants but in creating conditions that empower young Senegalese to access available opportunities at home.